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Gremlins
Gremlins, also known as duende, duendecillo, and sometimes goblins, are a diminutive race of malevolent and vile humanoids that have infested the islands of the Caribbean since their escape from Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba in late 2076. Designed alongside their counterpart the Molerats, the Gremlins were created as a species of saboteurs by the United States Commonwealth during the Sino-American War, intended to be airdropped in vast numbers on the Chinese mainland where they would sew chaos and bedlam across land. Genetically predisposed to violence and destruction, gremlins actively damage or pervert all infrastructure within reach, and breed in such numbers as to devastate any local ecology they are introduced to. Capable of low cunning and a surprising level of ingenuity, what gremlins lack in size, strength, and hygiene, they make up for in sheer numbers and unremitting cruelty. History Biology Gremlins in general stand from three feet tall at their smallest and four feet tall at their largest, and usually weigh no more than fifty pounds. Their heads are wide, their disproportionately large jaws and eyes taking up most space on their misshapen head. The aforementioned fanged mouth is host to legions of razor sharp teeth, which gremlins seem to have an inexhaustible amount of, much like sharks. A gremlin's jaw strength is remarkably powerful for a creature of their size, and a gremlin is capable of locking its jaws into place, making decapitation the only surefire way to escape the little beast's bite. Their bulbous, red eyes can see into both visible color and infrared spectrum, and can discern most colors save blue. Gremlins are noted to have superb depth perception, something that often comes in handy when plotting vertical ambushes. A gremlin's lumpy head is adorned with a pair of large ears, which are highly sensitive to the slightest sounds. Said ears can swivel much like a dogs, and also assist in dispersing heat. Gremlins also use their ears to emphasize their emotional state, with a gremlin perking up his ears to their widest to appear larger when aggressive, folding them back to show fear and submission, and letting their ears droop to show sadness or deep thought. A gremlin's torso is usually stout, further emphasizing its gangly limbs. A gremlin's arms are much like those in lower primates, reaching past the knees, and ending in large hands with five quick and dexterous fingers. Gremlins also have large, wide feet, which often secrete a sticky, oily substance to attract dirt and mud to protect the already calloused skin and aid a gremlin in scaling sheer surfaces. Gremlins are known to have pronounced and somewhat pointed nails, which are almost perpetually coated in filth, making a scratch potentially fatal without quick treatment. Gremlins are surprisingly hardy, capable of surviving off meager food and in areas of deadly inclement weather for months at a time with little ill effect. (other than their already foul tempers being further exacerbated) Gremlins also seem almost immune to the effects of high radiation, and some gremlins are known to actively seek out areas of high radiation as these places are generally inhospitable to most wasteland predators. Gremlins are universally noted as foul smelling, this is due to special glands located at the base of their necks and armpits which constantly secrete a greasy, oily musk, which gremlins constantly rub across their bodies in an attempt to deter predators and keep cool in warm climates. In colder conditions, this oily substance will freeze in lumps to a gremlin's flesh, creating an insulating barrier between the gremlin and the elements. While gremlins are more or less hostile to most non-gremlins they encounter (and even then cannibalism and tribal warfare are rife within their society), they seem to share a strange affinity for Molerats. Gremlin populations are known to practice Molerat husbandry, breeding packs for their hide and meat, while also using them as trained beasts of war and even mounts. The Molerats then reap the benefits of ready meals from the rubbish heaps that tend to collect in gremlin settlements and the fierce protection of the Gremlins themselves. Gremlins seem to be instinctively hydrophobic, deathly afraid of drowning. This might well be a fear genetically engineered into their collective psyches to prevent them from spreading beyond the Eurasian region once deployed in China as was their intended purpose. Though this keeps the bulk of the species trapped on the islands of the Caribbean, Gremlins are more than capable of overcoming their fear if they find a vessel of sufficient size or of particularly sturdy looking design. Otherwise, Gremlins as a whole simply cannot learn how to swim, instinctively panicking in any body water deeper than their shoulders. Gremlins are relatively intelligent when compared to most non-human inhabitants of the wasteland, capable of speech, complex abstract thought, and even feats of remarkable ingenuity. Unfortunately every ounce of this impressive but meager intelligence is focused solely to the determent of every living being around them. Gremlins seem to be naturally predisposed to treachery and violence, lacking any strong instinctive altruism as seen in humans and some rats. That being said, they do have a strong herd mentality, and lone gremlins quicky become dangerously paranoid and manic. Gremlins reproduce sexually, with sexual dimorpism between males and females being less pronounced than in Humans. Gremlins females are, on the whole, larger and stronger than males, but tend to also be dim witted and servile. Males meanwhile tend to be smaller a weaker, but generally more intelligent and domineering. Gremlin pregnancies are remarkably short, lasting for about a month, and newborn gremlins tend to be independent within two months and sexually mature by three months. Gremlins are usually born in trios, though twins are just as common. Single births are rare, and such specimens tend to be stronger and smarter than their peers. Sociology Gremlin society is largely tribal in nature, with only a few very successful groups achieving something akin to a primitive city state. Gremlins generally only respect raw power or cunning, and as such their warriors and leaders tend to be one in the same. Whoever can scheme or force his way onto the throne of power is widely considered the uncontested leader of his tribe until he is inevitably deposed by those closest to him or he is slain in some grizzly manner by outside forces. In larger gatherings, Gremlins are more than capable of complex politics, forming primitive governments usually built around who monopolizes what resource. A tribe of Gremlins who controls a nearby water source, for example, will usually be given a seat on a tribal council of sorts, alongside a clan who may have the most or best warriors under their banner, or a group with the largest herds of Molerats. These larger gatherings tend to emphasize cunning and diplomacy within the ranks of their pesudo-aristocracy as opposed to the outright murder of the smaller tribal gatherings, but such things are far from totally uncommon. Gender roles in Gremlin society are simple, females, being the larger and stronger sex, guard the camp or settlement, and in larger gatherings, serve as elite crack troops and warrior aristocrats. Males meanwhile serve as hunters, builders, and as social planners. It is males who tend to the Molerat herds, and males who generally construct weapons and arms for their fellows. Overall, Gremlin communities can be seen to follow a standard cycle of development. Most communities begin at the tribal level. These groups are widely regarded as the most common examples of their kind, and are generally primitive savages armed with little more than cudgels, spears, and slings. Such bands will generally hunt and raid for day to day survival, and will more than likely be nomadic in nature. Most of these groups do not survive for more than a few months before they are killed by the elements, natural predators, or other wastelanders. Should a band survive and be successful, they could grow to what is generally termed the "Settled" stage of their development, having grown to such numbers that they can stake a claim on a plot of wasteland dirt and defend it from interlopers. Such communities have generally discovered some form of sustenance farming, or at least are in an area with plentiful enough game/food to steal that they can support such burgeoning numbers. A class will arise later in the development of of settled Gremlins, known as "Tinkerers", who eventually discover the power of black powder and combustion engines. If a group of settled Gremlins continues to grow and be met with success in their inevitable endeavors against both their neighbors and the local wildlife, they will likely become a "city-state". Such powerful gatherings are exceptional, vast hordes numbering in the thousands gather in towering scrap cities that belch smoke and fire, and their warrior-class are bound to be armed with scavenged weapons as well as primitive muskets, scrap armor, and a wide and cruel assortment of melee weapons. Only a handful of Gremlin city-states exist, and the complexity and advancement of these gatherings are only matched by the danger they pose to any and all nearby settlements. Technology In spite of appearing dimwitted and primitive at first glance, gremlins are consummate scavengers and tinkerers, with large encampments more than capable of cobbling together primitive firearms, cudgels, and fortifications. Gremlin Musket: Generally found only amongst settled Gremlins, the Gremlin Musket is a primitive muzzle loaded firearm. Though lacking in accuracy and range, the weapon is noted to have considerable stopping power and when used en masse, can prove dangerous to even the most well equipped opponents. Gremlin Blunderbuss: Little more than a metal tube with a wide muzzle and a breech or pan for black powder, the Gremlin blunderbuss may not be particularly impressive at first glance, but more than capable of blowing off a man's limbs at close range in a hail of stones and rusty nails. Gremlin Rocket Launcher: A primitive tube loaded with black powder to propel a black powder warhead, these inaccurate weapons are only effective for one use and unlikely to strike true. However, when fired en masse or at close range, these explosive weapons are more than deadly enough to unarmored targets at close range. Gremlin Rocket Battery: Nothing less than several Gremlin rocket launchers strapped to a wagon and tied to a single fuse, the Gremlin rocket battery can unleash a hellish barrage of flaming doom upon its unfortunate victims. Gremlin Cannon: A primitive cannon made from melted down scrap metal, these slapdash war machines are failure prone and at first glance laughably undersized. However these guns can bring low even a mighty super mutant with a single blast of a cannon ball, or be loaded with scrap metal and unleash a rending hail of sharp and jagged metal. Scraplauncher: A primitive catapult loaded with sharp bits of metal and whatever harmful debris that can be piled on, what the Scraplauncher lacks in power it makes up for in range and devastating volume of fire. Gremlin Scrapwalker: Made from scavenged robot parts and scrap metal, a Scrapwalker is generally made from the remains of Protectrons or Robobrains that have been gutted of most of their damaged or destroyed internal components and instead now feature a cockpit for a deranged Gremlin pilot. Such metal hulks are armed to the teeth with looted firearms welded to the hull and brandish whirring scrap saws and electrified prods. These "vehicles" are rare, and tend to be powered either by primitive combustion engines such as coal or by unstable fusion cells. Gremlin Scrap Plate Armor: Considered the best protection a Gremlin can make, Gremlin Scrap Plate is generally considered to be a bulky mess much like common Metal Armor. That being said, it protects its diminutive wearer from most small arms fire and bladed weaponry, and feeds an already over inflated sense of self importance. Molehide Armor: The most common distinction between a tribal Gremlin and his settled superior is that settled Gremlin warriors tend to be clad in armor made of cured Molerat hide, while the average tribal Gremlin must get by on loincloths and callouses to protect them in battle. Molehide isn't Power Armor, but it will still drastically increase a Gremlins survivability. Molerat Saddle: Specialized saddles and reigns made for the riding of Molerats, the Molerat Saddle is said to have first appeared amongst the Gremlins of Jamaica. Thus the tradition of Molerat cavalry was born almost a century ago. Gremlins who ride Molerats into battle tend to be individuals of high standing, from the heavily armored "Molerat Knights" to the tribal warlords riding bareback. Assorted Melee Weapons: Gremlins generally come armed with a wide array of harmful blunt and sharp objects. These range from primitive spears and shields made from scrap metal and road signs, to poorly forged swords and armor made from melted down scrap metal. Notable Groups Tim's Horde: The Gitmo Gremlins: The progenitors of all Gremlinkind, the Gitmo Gremlins rule from their vast scrap fortress of Guantánamo and the former Guantanamo Bay naval base. Easily the most organized and militarized of their kind, the Gitmo Gremlins The Kay Kingdom: Based off of a long abandoned Poseidon Energy Oil Rig off the coast of Florida, the Kay Kingdom is one of the most powerful gremlin city-states in the known world. Ruled by the legendary King Erwin Blacktooth, the Kay Kingdom gremlins are some of the only known members of their kind to be accomplished sea farers, taking to the shallow seas upon their scrap barges. Raiding along the Gulf Coast, across the Florida coastline, and even far up the Mississippi River, there are few places safe from the grubby claws of the Kay King's wrath. The Haitian Horde: Native to the blasted and heavily irradiated hellscape of post-war Haiti, the Haitian Horde gremlins inhabit the northernmost areas of the island, and are constantly pushing south, seeking to assail the scant few Ghoul and Super Mutant communities that remain on this otherwise lifeless stretch of irradiated sand. The Barbados Headhunters: Notable Individuals Quotes Category:Creatures Category:Cuba